SITER AND CELEMPUNG

The siter and celempung are plucked string instruments used in Javanese gamelan. They
are related to the kacapi used in Sundanese gamelan.
The siter and celempung each have between 11 and 13 pairs of strings, strung on each side,
between a box resonator. Typically the strings on one side tuned to pélog and the other to
slendro. The siter is generally about a foot long and fits in a box (which it is set upon while
played), while the celempung is about three feet long and sits on four legs, and is tuned one
octave below the siter. They are used as one of the elaborating instruments (panerusan), that
play cengkok (melodic patterns based on the balungan). Both the siter and celempung play at
the same speed as the gambang (which is rapidly).
 Đàn bầu

The đàn bầu is a Vietnamese stringed instrument, in the form of a monochord (one-string)
zither.

Originally, the dan bau was a tube zither, made of just four parts: a bamboo tube, a wooden
rod, a coconut shell half, and a silk string. The string was strung across the bamboo, tied on
one end to the rod, which is perpendicularly attached to the bamboo. The coconut shell was
attached to the rod, serving as a resonator. In present days, the bamboo has been replaced
by a wooden soundboard, with hardwood as the sides and softwood as the middle. An electric
guitar string has replaced the traditional silk string. While the gourd is still present, it is now
generally made of wood, acting only as a decorative feature. Also, most dan bau now have
modern tuning machines, so the base pitch of the string can be adjusted. Usually the
instrument is tuned to one octave below middle C, about 131 Hz, but it can be tuned to other
notes to make it easier to play in keys distant from C.
 KHLOY

A khloy is an ancient traditional bamboo flute from Cambodia and more specifically the
Khmer people. The khloy and other similar bamboo flutes can be found throughout Asia, due
to bamboo's abundance in the region.
 RANAT THUM LEK

The ranat thum lek is a metallophone used in the classical music of

Thailand. It is the larger of the two sizes of Thai metallophone; the smaller one is
called ranat ek lek.
The ranat thum lek consists of flat metal slabs placed over a rectangular wooden resonator. It
is played with two bamboo sticks with padded ends.
 THON AND RAMMANA

The thon and rammana are hand drums played as a pair in Thai classical music. It consists
of two drums: the thon, a goblet drum with a ceramic or wooden body and the rammana, a
small rebana-typed frame drum or tambourine. They are used usually in the khruang sai
ensemble. The thon gives a low pitch and the rammana gives a high pitch. Earlier in the 20th
century, the thon and rammana were sometimes played separately.
The instruments are also used in Cambodian music in the mohori ensemble.
 SAUNG

The saung also known as the saung-gauk, Burmese harp, Burma harp, or Myanmar harp, is an arched
harp used in traditional Burmese music. The saung is regarded as a national musical instrument of Burma.
The saung is unique in that it is a very ancient harp tradition and is said to be the only surviving harp in
Asia.
 SAW U

The saw u is a Thai bowed string instrument. It has a lower pitch than the saw duang and is
the lowest sounding of the saw family.
Reliable evidence shows that pattern of the Saw U was probably taken from the Chinese
instrument and it is very similar to a two stringed Chinese instrument called the hu hu. The
saw U was invented since the age of the present Bangkok period (c. 1782) or perhaps from
the end of the preceding in the age of Ayudya (c.1700 - 1767). By the end of the 19th century,
the Saw U was added to the pi-phat-mai nuam ensemble which uses padded playing sticks
and the pi phat derk dam ban which is a special pi phat ensemble in a particular form of
theater. From the past Saw U was generally played in pi phat ensemble with other
accompanying instruments. Thai people call it “Saw U” because of the characteristic sound
that Thai people heard from it. The soundbox is made from a coconut shell that is covered on
the open front by cowskin. The saw u is held vertically and has two silk strings that are played
with a bow. The bow is between the strings and the player tilts the bow to play each string.
The bow is made out of horse tail hair like every other bow and needs to have rosin put on
occasionally just like a western stringed instrument. The saw u is a very fragile instrument and
is played traditionally on the lap sitting down. The saw u can be played as a solo instrument in
some cases but is mainly used for the backbone in some ensembles because of its rich, dark,
and mellow tone. The saw u performs its best when playing slow to moderate paced
melodies. The sound that the saw u makes is more fit for those types of songs rather than fast
paced melodies. The morn (bridge) that rests at the bottom is extremely sensitive and drifts
over time, causing changes in tone. The saw u is similar to the Cambodian tro u and was
developed by the Chinese into the yehu.

TRO

The tro is Cambodia's traditional spike fiddles, bowed string instruments that are held and
played vertically. Spike fiddles have a handle that passes through the resonator, often forming
a spike, on the bottom side where it emerges. The family is similar or distantly related to the
Chinese erhu or huqin. The instruments have a soundbox at the bottom of the stick, covered
with leather or snake skin. Strings run from pegs at the top of the stick and secured at the
bottom, running across the soundbox. The larger the soundbox, the lower the pitch range.
Instruments in this family include the two-stringed tro ou, tro sau thom,tro sau toch and tro
che, as well as the three-stringed tro Khmer spike fiddle. The two-stringed tros are tuned in a
fifth, while the three-stringed tro Khmer is tuned in fourths. The tros, with the exception of the
tro Khmer, are strung so that the bowstring is permanently placed between the two stings.
When the musician plays, the placement of the bow causes the strings to be played at once,
one from below and one from above. In contrast, western fiddles (such as the violin) are
played with the bow pushing on each string from the outside, as is also the case with the tro
khmer.